In April, my sweetie (Cherie) and I are taking a 2-week trip to Southeast Asia! This will be the deepest south I’ve ever been in Asia and I couldn’t be more excited. First, we’ll visit Singapore which was said to be a crown jewel in the British empire in its hay-day; there’s bound to be many similarities with Hong Kong I’d wager. With the peaceful coexistence of three major ethnic groups – Malaysian, Indian and Chinese, this city state will undoubtedly provide us with amazing food, brilliant architecture, and world-class hospitality.

From Singapore we travel to Jakarta, Indonesia where Cherie grew up. This will be the first majority-Muslim country for me to visit and I’m very curious about the stories from its past and present. Once we’ve visited Cherie’s parents’ house, and drunk our fill of avocado smoothies, we’ll venture out to the special region of Yokyakarta. Known as the ‘cradle of civilization’ to the Javanese, this is where multiple UNESCO world heritage sites are located, including Prambanan and Borobudur Temples.

Finally, we’ll spend the last 1/3 of our trip in Bali, an island well-known for its beautiful landscapes and spirituality. Tripadvisor rated it best island of Asia in 2016. We’ll go rafting, ride elephants, and play with monkeys. And finish off the trip with a surprise… stay tuned!

Here’s our general itinerary and some of the things we’re hoping to get to. If you have recommendations for us, please let me know.

UPDATE: We have already completed the trip. It was amazing!

April 29th – May 1: Fly from Boston to Dubai to Singapore.

May 1 – 3: Visit Cherie’s family in Singapore and go sightseeing.

May 3 – 5: Visit Jakarta and see where Cherie grew up.

May 5 – 7: Swing by Yokyakarta to visit ancient temples and explore local villages.

May 7 – 12: Bali!  Beaches, wildlife, and glorious food.

May 12 – May 13: Return to Singapore and prepare for our flight back to Boston.

With flight out there taking about 24 hours, we are definitely trying to squeeze in as much as possible. I cannot wait to experience Southeast Asia for the first time!

This past summer my roommate and I made the switch from over-priced cable (in this case it was RCN) to Over-the-Air (OTA) television and Apple TV. Our major concerns were related to a potential lack of programming, specifically live sports and show-specific channels like AMC. You might be thinking: How did you survive without a DVR service and ESPN!?! Well, we figured we’d try out this simpler way of entertaining ourselves in the evening hours by cutting the cord and trusting our ingenuity. And you know what…? We realized that this experiment was totally worth it.

In fact,  by limiting ourselves to Apple TV and OTA (which comes with HD channels too) we were able to test the boundaries of lower cost TV programming options. Our monthly bill dropped from $130 to $45. Split between the two of us, we each pay $22.50 per month (and I personally spring for HBO Now which is an additional $15 per month, but worth it! How many times have you selected the bigger/better package simply because you get HBO in it?)

As for sports, we no longer get ESPN but we do get most major NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL games that come over-the-air. Appointment TV has increased because we don’t have a DVR but that doesn’t bother me much. My Dad actually suggested we go old skool and tape games on VHS! (Awesome idea Dad!)

Another thing we realized was that the less you spend on TV entertainment, the more freedom you have to ignore the TV. Clearly, some basic principles of economics are at play here. When you spend $150 or $200 per month you’ll want to get your money’s worth. That makes the boob-tube a much more interesting activity than going out for drinks, seeing a performance, or reading a book.

One more concern – how do you chat with your co-workers about the latest episode of “Modern family” or “Big Bang Theory”? Actually, major syndicated shows tend to find a place on OTA channels. CBS Boston’s “My TV38” comes in crystal clear over-the-air. And my girlfriend and I can watch Jeopardy together every night, unless the Pats are playing (NFL games interrupt Jeopardy on Thursdays).

Yes – we do lose some programming and a lot of (lame) channels. We have to watch The Walking Dead late into the season on Netflix, which my girlfriend subscribes to. We miss the latest episodes of “Tiny house, Big living” or something like that. But, we’re OK with that since we didn’t love everything about cable TV either.

We don’t miss the endless commercials on cable TV. Nor do we miss the annoying menus that mix paid-for and free on-demand content. (Everything you really want to see is at least $5 to rent on these cable systems.) And we no longer pay rental fees to a cable company for a couple of boxes that would be a fraction of the price if you just bought them out right. (A $5 rental fee on a $40 device costs you $60 per year, and you probably keep renting it for 2 or 3 years, right? Big waste… See what Consumer Reports says about the average settop box rental fees – $230 per year?!)

All in all, our experience with cutting the cord was not without its fair share of challenges. There are some creature comforts that we forego, but overall, the experience has been net positive and a lot cheaper. (More money to spend on going out! Woohoo!)

Last week on August 15, 2015, I competed in one of the biggest physical challenges of my life, the Timberman Triathlon! And although it was my first endurance race ever, it was surprisingly quick. A lot happened: from my “swimming with the fishies” moment to the chain derailment/near car collision, to having the BEST fan base there! Let’s start with the swim…

This post starts at 4:45am.

Before the crack of dawn I was woken up by the sound of crickets and snores from the other room. I had my gear in two bags on the couch. One bag contained this morning’s swimming stuff and the other had biking/running gear. After waking Cherie up and getting my things in the car, we set out to Ellacoya state park. The sun wasn’t even up yet… but I was getting ready to race a 0.3 mile swim, 15 mile bike, and 3.1 mile run.

5:05am… When we got there half the parking lot was already full! You could tell there were some serious morning people at this event and I was using toothpicks to keep my eye lids open. We pulled over to the side and I got my bike out. I assembled the pieces and wheeled it over to the transition area. Luckily there were some bike experts/volunteers there helping people get their equipment working properly.

My brakes needed a tweaking. And it helped that the dude who helped me turned his spelunker cave headlight on so we could both see. Once I was tuned up, I got my number (90) drawn all over my body. Then I entered the transition area where rows and rows of bikes were lined up, just waiting for the adrenalin pumping race to begin.

My swimming with the fishies moment

As tradition dictates, the triathlon starts with the swim. Since this was an age-group race, and there were no professionals present, the under-39 men’s group was the first wave. (The older men’s group and then the women’s groups followed) I was part of the first wave of swimmers and just figured I’d figure things out as I go…

After arranging my stuff for the transition I suited up for the swim at around 6:30am. Most of the other racers were already in the water at Ellacoya beach and so I jumped right in with them. The sun was already above the horizon and I could see that it was going to cause a little blindness since the first buoy was leading us due east.

After warming up a bit with my swim cap and goggles on, I followed the referee who was guiding the start of the race to some banging tunes! About 80 of us were called up to the starting point at the end of the beach. Families and friends were nearby to support their racers, snap photos, and just breath in this beautiful course.

6:58am – We approached the buoys which would help our ankle straps tell the Ironman gods our start times and track us as we go. As the seconds ticked up to 7:00am, I could feel other competitors moving forward and backward in the lane, representing how confident they felt about their swimming. I stayed put, adjusting my ear plugs, listening carefully for the siren to go off. Then, the fishies came…

It was like getting caught up in a school of fish corralled by a pack of whales. At first, most of us were running toward the first buoy, while others were already swimming full speed. Arms were hitting my legs, while my feet were kicking others. There was no where to go unless the traffic ahead sped up. And only by the second buoy were most of us even able to create space for ourselves. At about half way through, I could hear the muffled siren of the second wave. More fishies were being unleashed.

As I rounded the forth buoy I had the end chute in my sights. A few of the second-wave swimmers had already passed me as I stood up, breathed deeply, and clawed the shallow water like a wildling escaping an army of white walkers… Once I got out onto the beach, I scampered over the smoothed out oak tentacles, and rounded the corner into the bike transition area.

It’s now mid-July and I have been training through a left-leg nerve issue. My chiropractor/therapist suggests I keep training up to a point where the nerve behind my knee starts being symptomatic. Luckily I’ve been able to do 0.3 mile swims and 15 mile bike rides recently in Laconia NH and Somerville MA, respectively. But the next couple weeks of training are crucial.

I’ve always been an endurance athlete to some degree. Soccer is definitely a stamina sport in which there are very few stops over a 45 minute period. I’ve raced in the longer distance track events as well. And with the memory of my grandfather, who was a champion bicyclist, I may even have genes on my side! (I hope…)

New to triathlons? Here’s a video of the Kona Ironman 2014:

In the following posts I’ll record the drama and lesson’s learned about this USATriathlon-sponsored event. Of course, after my first race I may find that I hate it (or love it). We’ll see how it goes!

For the second year in a row, Beijing Capital International Airport ranked number two in the list of the world’s busiest airports, handling 83.7 million passengers last year and securing its position as the airport with the highest level of flight activity in Asia. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains on top with 94.4 million travellers due to it being a major port for domestic flights and a popular connection to destinations in Europe and South America.

Beijing Capital International Airport charges ahead of Tokyo-Haneda (68.9 million) and London Heathrow (72.3 million), UK’s busiest airport and third busiest in Europe overall. Europe’s busy airports list also consists of London’s Gatwick Airport as it continues to expand in various areas from parking options to possibly building a second runway in the near future.

Although the double-digit growth in passenger traffic from previous years indicated that Beijing could close the gap on Atlanta, analysts were surprised to find out that Beijing only saw a 2.9 percent increase in 2014.

Unfortunately, the title doesn’t result in anything really positive for Beijing considering that their airport has been deemed inefficient in terms of time-efficiency. In 2013, BCIA was named the world’s most delayed airport and up until today still maintains that reputation along with other airports across the mainland. In findings compiled by an American-based firm that studies air travel around the globe, it was discovered Chinese airlines and airports were the worst in time inconsistencies, with all the airports in question having less than 40 percent of their flights leaving on time. A big part of these delays is due to flights being centralised to the capital as well as the major cities like Hangzhou, Shanghai and Guangzhou, leading to long queues at check-in counters and immigrations.

The Beijinger suggests that you might want to take the train if you’re travelling domestically to avoid huge crowds, crazy lines, and any airport anxiety. If you’re travelling internationally, make sure you leave for the airport early but don’t expect to board on time.

After a nice relaxing visit at the Omata’s we had one last big stop on our list – hike an active volcano. Mt. Aso, or Aso San, is known for being a temperamental hot spot that has been smoking for years. At its peak, Nakadake crater, there are about 8 inner craters and a small lake of boiling hot, blue water. The crater is off limits but there are zones outside the most toxic spot with a cable car taking visitors to its edge. Unluckily for us, Nakadake was misbehaving as recently as March, causing the closest safe zone (1 KM around the crater) to be closed off. That, combined with super foggy conditions, made our visit to Aso a somewhat disappointing one.

But before leaving the town of Aso however, we got a chance to ride a classical scenic train that wraps around the southern valley of the mountain. Between the quaint towns of Tateno and Takamori, this hour-long “tour” gave us a glimpse at the communities that live so close to this active volcano.

After Aso, Jake and I were starting to feel a little beat, so we booked a room at a much more comfortable hotel than we had been staying in over the last 2 weeks. We took one last Shinkansen train from Kumamoto to Fukuoka the day before leaving Japan. And if we knew how awesome Fukuoka would be we probably would have scheduled more time there!

Fukuoka is the fifth largest city in Japan population-wise, with a unique blend of Japanese and foreign cultures. The city is known for its warmer weather, fantastic ramen, and beautiful women. But what I noticed most about this city was the Korean and broader European influences on their local cuisine. There was more variety and spice in the dishes than anywhere else in Japan. (It did surprise me how much I started to miss Korean and Chinese food…)

While winding down the trip in Fukuoka, Jake and I made sure to get one last important food tasted: Japanese beef. Although Kobe beef is the most famous internationally, Japan has many regions that produce amazing cuts of meat. After getting wicked over-charged at one executive restaurant (they charged $15-40 per 100g and we had to cook it!) we finally found a smaller local establishment run by a hip chef near the clubbing district. We ordered 4 plates of Japanese beef and he cooked them up so perfectly, I don’t think I’ll ever taste beef like that again. ($12 per 100g, cooked, totally worth it.) Along with the beef we ordered a local sake the traditional way – poured in a shot glass in a wooden box, filled to the brim.

And that was how we ended our trip in Japan – food, drinks, and sleep! We had an amazing trip and will definitely have another adventure somewhere else together soon. And as with all of my experiences in Asia I’ll never live life quite the same as before.

The Omatas welcomed us into their home as guests and showed us the most amazing hospitality. Having known Jun and Rika for years in China, and also tutored their kids, I had always promised I would visit their neck of the woods in South-Western Japan. Since this was an opportunity to do that I made sure that our itinerary included a visit to Oita and Beppu, the hot springs capital of Japan.

Across Beppu you’ll find white plumes of steam rising from cracks in the Earth. On our only full day together, Jun and Rika brought us to various jigoku or “hells” in Japanese. These hells were far too hot to swim in but we’re beautiful occurrences in nature. The sea hell was blue and the bloody hell was red. Other hells were different colors, including a white one.

After visiting the hells and having lunch, we went to a hot spring with the whole family. These hot springs, or onsen in Japanese, are heated naturally and provide endless amounts of hot bath water. Similar to the island hot spring, our muscles thanked us for this much needed relaxation.

The Omata’s generosity knew few limits because after onsen we were treated to a very authentic sushi dinner with the family. Not only did we pig out on sushi but we ate a variety of other sushi-like dishes: Pork slices on rice, egg omelet rolls, fish eggs in seaweed, and even straight up sashimi.

Our stay at the omata’s will never be forgotten, especially the kind reception shown to us by Rika’s parents who lived next door. They welcomed us with open arms, praised my teaching of their grandkids while in China and sent us off with parting gifts. The only thing that might have topped their kindness would be Rikas breakfasts! Both mornings at their home we were surprised by omelets, toast, fruit, sausages, juice, and coffee! After a week of backpacker breakfasts this was a much needed (and appreciated) change.

We thank the Omata’s for being awesome hosts and welcome them to Boston and New Mexico when they visit the US!

72 kilometers by bike, in 10 hours. This was the middle point of our journey through Japan. Actually, Jake and I had planned on more hiking and biking than we actually did, but this ride was almost more than we had bargained for!

The bike path starts in Hiroshima prefecture, spanning 6 tiny islands and massive suspension bridges, ending in Imabari city on the island of Shikoku. In order to do it all, we rented 2 bikes for 2 days and stayed at a hot spring beach hostel. Covered by orange and lemon groves, Innoshima was probably the most remote of our entire trip. And we sampled the oranges too as we rode through the little towns nestled in these islands. (See a pic below for the entire route.)

With heavy packs on our backs, we still managed to locate the hostel on day one and get a well-deserved hot spring bath to soothe our aching muscles. I honestly don’t know if we could have finished cycling the other 3 islands the next day if we didn’t have that chance for some deep relaxation.

The next morning we had a very ambitious itinerary. Finish biking the rest of the path (5 hours), hop on a train at noon to Yawatahama port (3 hours), and then take a ferry to Beppu (3 hours). Luckily my good friends, the Omata family, were at Beppu ferry terminal waiting for us. We made it there around 8pm, after starting our bike ride at 7:30am. Exhausted, and ready to die, my dear friends picked us up and brought us to their home in the mountains of Oita.

We all have learned about Hiroshima and Nagasaki at some point in History class. But nothing prepares you for what we were about to experience in this city. As I got off the train in downtown Hiroshima I was a little overcome with sorrow. I had never felt a sense of national guilt before. It must be similar to how Germans recall World War II. And you only know what that’s like when you ’round the corner….. and see it – the Atomic Bomb Dome.

This singular structure, with rubble and bricks left in tact, is a visceral reminder of the devastation the Japanese people suffered at the end of World War II. It represents how hundreds of thousands of lives were changed in an instant. The museum, which was packed on a Tuesday, is raw and very emotional. Tattered clothes, melted skin, fused panes of glass, and stories from survivors made the experience all the more heartbreaking.

Outside the museum was a memorial which paid tribute to students who died in Hiroshima. For some reason the kids were on demolition teams after the city had been bombed a number of times. And although the exhibits mentioned that the atomic bomb killed Koreans held has slaves, American POWs, and others, there were many that focused on the 6,000+ students who died that day. Perhaps this brought a more innocent light to the subject? I wasn’t sure…

The rest of Hiroshima is much like a typical 3rd tier city. Shops, restaurants, bars, and historical sites. The floating Torri of Miyajima was actually our 2nd major stop of the day and we were able to enjoy it through the rainy, chilly weather. Pre-modern descriptions of the place tell us that commoners were never granted access to this holy island. But if you wanted to visit the island you would need to row your boat through the floating Torii. When the tide is high, the gate appears to be floating in the water and is one of the most photographed sites in Japan today.

We also had Hiroshimayaki that night and watched baseball at a bar.

Himeji Castle, or the white heron, was first built in the 1500s. It has survived 48 transfers of power (both peaceful and not) as well as a bombing by America. Somehow this amazing structure managed to survive after two duds hit it in World War II. (A footnote a British couple made sure to bring to my attention…)

The morning after we arrived from Yamazaki, we lined up to get tickets to visit the white heron. Since we were there early we were given a special ticket. We would be 2 of the first thousand people to visit the main keep that day! This made the visit so much more worth it and I suggest all who go to Himeji to line up by 8am to seize this rare opportunity. To be honest, the main keep alone was worth the price of admission. 

But the moment that will stay with me as long as the amazing views of the castle, courtyard, and lookouts, would have to be the opening of the gates. With hundreds of people in line at 9am, a man took a stick to a large taiko (drum) and moments later… BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, we were let in through the gates!

There was a surge of people pushing up towards the ticket windows. (Because of this we could tell that not everyone was Japanese…) Since we were at the very front of the line it was like the castle was opened up just for us. No one except the volunteers were there. It was like this ancient structure was renovated just for us to come see it.

Once we had our fill of the views, and rain, we gathered our things and headed toward Hiroshima by bullet train.